The present invention relates to improvements in vehicles for traveling through the atmosphere and transporting a payload, and more particularly to a powered hot air airship and to a load equalizing suspension means therefor.
Airships of this type have been referred to as dirigibles and originally referred to as blimps when the airship is nonrigid. The present invention in particular relates to a hot air inflated airship of the nonrigid pressure type. The main envelope or pressure hull is formed of a fabric such as a laminated plastic and nylon, or of suitable other material which is lightweight, extremely strong and resistant to gas diffusion. The envelope of the airship is horizontally elongate and is primarily symmetrical with load lines distributed over the body of the envelope for carrying a payload therebelow. The load lines are also particularly arranged to support hot gas pressure inflation means which preferably will be in the form of one or more propane fueled burners with a fan inflation means. The fan or blower which pressurizes the airship is driven by a suitable motor which may be propane or gasoline fueled.
The plastic fabric envelope when not in use can be folded and shipped or stored in the space which takes up less than 1% of its inflated volume. The envelope can be relatively rapidly inflated by the operation of the fan and the free lift is controllable by control of the burner which controls the temperature of the air within the envelope. The direction of flight is controlled by tail fins at the aft end of the airship envelope.
Supported beneath the inflated airship envelope is a gondola which carries a payload and equipment. Passengers, a pilot, and other payloads such as freight or mail are supported in the gondola. Also, suspended beneath the airship, preferably on the gondola, is the propelling means which will be a gasoline or propane fueled engine with a driving propeller. The gondola and its load are supported entirely by the free lift of the gas in the airship envelope, and therefore, it is necessary to provide means for suspending the gondola below the envelope in such a manner that the load is equally distributed along the fabric of the envelope. The airship envelope is of an extremely tough lightweight material. This material contains the hot air and provides adequate free lift, but it is essential that the load therebeneath be distributed relatively uniformly over the surface of the envelope so as to not cause excessive stresses at any one location. The hull or the envelope, for example, may be on the order of 120 feet long and 40 feet in diameter in one airship which has been constructed which is capable of carrying a gross load of 2200 pounds.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved suspension equalizing system wherein the weight of the gondola and other equipment below the airship envelope is equally distributed to both sides of the envelope and over a substantial area of airship envelope.
A further object of the invention is to provide a hot air pressurized airship with cables extending down on both sides of the airship envelope and an improved load equalizing suspension means below the envelope for distributing the load equally to both sides of the envelope without the necessity of having to provide complicated and bulky equipment such as use springs, load absorbers and the like which are costly and add unnecessary weight.
A further object of the invention is to provide a load suspension system which is light in weight and has strength and can accommodate different loads and deflection or distortion of the airship envelope shape.
For example, the invention contemplates a plurality of cables with each cable looped downwardly from one side of the airship envelope to the other and with the cables arranged in groups, and each group slidably passing through a thimble which connects to the gondola. The thimble equally distributes the payload of the gondola to each side of the airship envelope, and the cables equally distribute the load in a fore and aft direction.